Taximeters



June 7, 1966 J, CONDY ET AL TAXIMETERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1964 //\/VENTOS JOHN HERBERT CONDY VERNON WATKINS SPARROW JO HN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL Arroe/vzy June 7, 1966 CONDY ET AL 3,254,833

TAXIME'I'ERS Filed June 4, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

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TAXIMETERS Filed June 4, 1964 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 L r} j /NVEN s 1/ JOH ERBERT CON RNON TKINS SPARROW HN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL 5Y6 g M Maid- ATTORNEYS June 7, 1966 J. H. CONDY ET TAXIMETERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1964 VENTOKS ONDY NS SPA ROW 8 CAM BELL ATTORNEYS JOHN HERBER VERNON WATK! JOHN DOUGLA June 7, 1966 J, CONDY ET AL TAXIMETERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 4, 1964 INVENTORS JOHN HERBERT CONDY VERNON WATKINS SPARROW JOHN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL LwmJ-j ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,254,833 v TAXIMETERS John Herbert Condy, Northwood, Vernon Watkins Sparrow, Denham, and John Douglas Campbell, High Wycombe, England, assignors to Bell Punch Company Limited, London, England Filed June 4, 1964, Ser. No. 372,486 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 7, 1963,

2 Claims. (Cl. 235-30) This invention has reference to taximeters.

Taximeters are employed in taxicabs and like vehicles to calculate automatically and indicate the fare to be paid by thepassenger. The fare to be paid by the passenger is calculated in dependence upon three main con ditions namely:

(1) The initial charge including extras to cover, for example additional passengers and excess baggage.

(2) The distance travelled, and

(3) The time during which the taxicab is employed without actually moving, for example when just hired or when the vehicle is stopped, as in traffic congestion.

The scale of charges in accordance with the above three conditions may vary widely in dependence upon local bye-laws or regulations which effect the district in which the vehicle is employed. The conditions may also vary in a particular district from time to time, for example be dependent on the time of day. The taximeter therefore has to take into account any changes in such conditions and should be readily adaptable to meet any changes in requirements as may occur from time to time. It is also important that the taximeter should not be liable to be tampered with so that the taximeter gives an incorrect reading.

The taximeter must also take into account the fact that the tariff rate for any particular taxicab may change from one time of day to another. The rate chargeto the customer may also vary if certain extras are included, for example when extra baggage'or an extra number of fares is carried.

In taximeters as already known, mechanism to pro- 'vide taximeters which fulfill the purpose as above described have been provided and have usually included mechanism all contained in a single box. It is sometimes diflicult to provide this box at a suitable position whereby the fare indicated on the taximeter can easily be viewed by the passenger and the driver at the same time enabling the taximeter to be easily operated by the driver as required.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved construction of taximeter whereby the different parts of the taximeter may be mounted on different parts of the taxicab to enable the meter to be easily operated and yet for the readings on the taximeter to be easily viewed by the driver and the passenger.

According to the present invention a taximeter comprises a display unit to display the fare chargeable to the passenger, a drive unit containing a clock mecha- Patented June 7, 1966 FIG 4 is a view of the drive unit with the coverremoved,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of part of the control unit,

FIGS. 6-10 are views taken on the lines VIVI, VII VII, VIII-VIII, IX--IX, and X-X, FIG. 4,

FIG. 11 is a view of the contactor switch,

FIG. 12 is a view of part of the display unit, and

FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram.

Referring to FIG. 1 the taximeter includes a control unit 1 to be mounted adjacent to the driving position of the vehicle, a drive unit 2 to be located at a suitable place on the vehicle and a display unit 3 to be mounted in a position where it is visible to the passenger in the cab. A condition display unit 4 is mounted for example on the top of the cab where it is visible to the intending passenger.

and condition display unit 4. These electrical connec the tariff button 8 which is depressed when the tariff rate nism and a drive mechanism movable in dependence on the distance travelled by the taxicab, drive means driven either by the drive mechanism (when operative) or by the clock mechanism and an electrical impulse mechanism driven by the drive means to impulse the display means.

A taximeter in accordance with the invention will now i be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a taximeter installed of hire of the taxicab is changed and which takes into account those conditions imposed, for example by certain bye-laws which permits extra charge to be levied by drivers of taxicabs after a specified hour, for example midnight, and the engagement button 9 which indicates whether the taxicab is (1) For Hire; (2) Stopped; (3) Hired.

The engagement button 9 carries a spring loaded pawl 10 which engages with a'toothed wheel 11 to rotate the latter when the latter is rotated in a'clockwise direction (FIG. 5). When the button 9 is moved from the position shown the pawl 10 engages the toothed wheel 11 to move it one position. The button can then be pressed again to move the toothed wheel to a further position. Thus the button moves the toothed wheel to any one of three positions corresponding to For Hire, Stopped, and Hired. Normally it is not possible to rotate the toothed wheel 11 clockwise. If this is required an adton but facing in the other direction. The toothed wheel 11 carries a sprocket wheel 12 and a spring loaded lever 13 pivoted at 13 which carries a roller 14 to engage the teeth in the sprocket wheel 12 to ensure that it is accurately located in position and not'mid-way between two operative positions. The toothed wheel 12 also carries a cam wheel 15, and two associated micro-switches 16 and 17 are positioned so as to be operated by the cams in a required pattern in dependence on which of the three conditions specified is applicable at a particular time.

Thus the switch 16 is conditioned to be in one position when the button 9 is in the For Hire" and Stopped positions and in the other position in the Hired posi tion. 0n the other hand the switch 17 is conditioned to be in one position in the For Hire position and in the other position in the Stopped and Hired positions.

The drive unit (FIG. 4) comprises an input drive 18 which input is by a Bowden cable or similar means to the device 19a (FIG. 1) driven from the road wheels or the like and which is moved in accordance with the distance travelled by the taxicab. This input drive 18 is connected to a gear 19 on the drive unit which in turn is connected through a compound gear 20 to a third gear 21. The sizes of the compound gear 20 are determined to compensate for differences, for example in the size of the Electrical connections 5 are made between the drive unit 2 and the control unit 1, display unit 3 taxicab wheels, so that the third gear 21 is driven a distance directly dependent on the distance travelled by the taxicab. Thus, the sizes of the gear 20 are selected to drive the third gear 21 at for example, three and a third revolutions per mile travelled by the taxicab.

A connection is made from gear 21 to a pair of cams 25 which actuate side-by-side micro-switches 26 and 26a (FIGS. 4 and 7). The gears of the gear train 19 to 21 are so selected that the cams close the switches once for every tenth of a mile travelled by the taxicab. These micro-switches 26 and 26a are connected respectively to a pair of counter units to indicate the total miles? and paid miles travelled by the taxicab.

The gear 21 is connected to a shaft 28:: through a series of gears which provide a standard output depending on the unit cost per unit distance travelled by the taxicab. Thus, these gears may take into account variations in fares accounted to standard rates, for example A, of a mile, etc. The out-put shaft 28a of this train is therefore made to revolve once for each unit fare stage to be charged by the taxicab.

The shaft 22 carrying the gear 23 also carries a plurality of gears 27 each of which drives a respective output gear 28 carried on a shaft 281: through a respective intermediate gear 29 (FIG. 8). The intermediate gears 29 are each carried on a cradle lever arm 31. Each of these arms has a respective roller 32 at its outer end which is spring loaded into contact with a respective eccentric on an eccentric shaft 33. The arrangement is such that only one of the intermediate gears 29 is in engagement with the respective gear 27 and the output gear 28 in each position of the shaft 33. This shaft 33 is rotated by a solenoid 34 (FIG. 9) which is impulsed from the tariff change button 8 on the control unit. Each time the solenoid 34 receives an impulse it is energised and movement of its armature pulls down a lever 35, which carries a ratchet 36 which engages a toothed wheel 37 to rotate it and rotate the shaft 33 to which it is keyed. A spring loaded ratchet 38 prevents the wheel 37 from rotating in the reverse direction.

It will be seen that rotation of the eccentric shaft 33 rotates the respective eccentrics so that a different one of the gears 29 meshes with the respective ones of the gears 27 and 28. Thereby different drive ratios connect these gears to'accommodate for different tariff rates.

The drive from the shaft 28a is connected through a one way clutch 29a to a main shaft 30. The one way clutch includes a pair of clutch plates with associated rollers and Wedge surfaces. Thus the shaft 28a is enabled by clutch 29a to drive the main shaft 30, but if the shaft 30 is rotating faster than the shaft 28a, that clutch will be overridden.

The drive unit 2 also includes a clock drive mechanism. This includes a rotary solenoid mechanism 31a which consists of a solenoid and a device for transmitting the longitudinal motion of its armature into rotary motion. This rotary solenoid rotates the shaft 32a by an incremental amount each time it is energised. The shaft.32a is connected to a coil spring 33a of a clockwork, and the solenoid acts to wind up this spring to keep it in tension. When the spring has been wound up to its fullest extent and governed by the torque of the rotary solenoid, the rotary solenoid will no longer be able to operate freely and in this condition a cam (not shown) on the rotary solenoid armature engages a cut-out switch to de-energise the rotary solenoid. The end of the coil spring 33a remote from the rotary solenoid drive shaft is connected to an output gear 34a. The gear 34a is connected to a clock escapernent mechanism 37a and through a train of gears to the main shaft 30. The train of gears to the main shaft from the clock mechanism includes various gears capable of being changed easily to accommodate for changes in waiting time charges dependent on the byelaws of a specified local authority. A stop clock solenoid 38a is also included and co-operates with an arm 39a having a pad member 40 (Fig. 4) at its outer end which serves to stop the clock drive to the main shaft when the taxicab is not hired. The clock drive is connected through a one way drive mechanism 41 to the main shaft 30. This one-way drive mechanism 41 enables the rotation of the clock mechanism to be transmitted to the shaft 30, but if the shaft 30 is being driven from shaft 28a via the one-way clutch 29a faster than the clock rotation input to mechanism 41, then the clock rotation input will be overridden and will be without effect on the shaft 30. Thus the main shaft 30 is either driven by the clock drive through the one way drive mechanism 41 or by the drive from the taxicab wheels through the one way drive 29, whichever drive is being driven faster.

The main shaft 30 constitutes the drive means for operating a switch which generates electrical impulses to impulse counters. This mechanism includes a solenoid 45 through which the main shaft passes. The shaft 30 is keyed to a member 45a carrying one plate 46 of a clutch. This plate 46 also constitutes the armature of solenoid 45 and is retracted to the right in FIG. 4 when the solenoid is energized but is pressed against the other plate 47 of the clutch by a spring 4611 when the solenoid is tie-energized. This member 45a is movable lengthwise of the-shaft 30. The other plate 47 of the clutch is connected to an annular shaft 47a around the main shaft so as to be rotatable on the shaft but not movable lengthwise thereof. This annular shaft is connected to a contractor cam 48. A coil spring 49 is secured at one end to the cam 48 and at its other end to a fixed anchorage point, and operates to return the cam to its starting position upon release of the clutch 46, 47. The contractor cam co-operates with a lever 50 (FIG. 11) which when pivoted closes the contacts of the micro-switch 51. Thus as the cam rotates it closes the switch 51. The switch 51 is connected in the circuit of the solenoid 45 (FIG. 13) so that closure of this switch 51 in turn energises the contactor solenoid 45 on the main shaft to cause the clutch units 46 and 47 to disengage to enable the coil spring 49 to return the cam unit 48 to its initial angular position. The switch 51 also operates a plural order fare impulse counter including solenoids 57a, 57b and 570 in its various orders in the display unit 3 in FIG. 13. The fare impulse counter is generally indicated at 67 in the display unit as shown in FIG. 3. The mechanical construction of each of its orders is illustrated in FIG. 12. The switch 51 also operates a paid miles counter 72 on the control unit 1. A radial stop 54 (FIG. 11) is mounted on the contactor cam 48 to engage a complementary spring loaded stop 55 on the framework of the drive unit to prevent bounce of the cam 48. This stop carries a U-shaped pivoted member 56a so that when the radial stop 54 abuts the stop 55 it is pivoted so that its shorter arm moves behind the rear of the stop 54 to prevent it from bouncing from the stop 55.

The display unit 3 (FIG. 3) includes a box with a transparent panel 56 bearing the word Hired. This panel 56 is associated with a lamp 102 (FIG. 3). The display unit includes a fare counter 67 to indicate the initial distance and distance travelled fare, a counter 68 to display the extras such as additional passengers and baggage and a tariff display indicator 69 with associated lamp. As indicated in FIG. 3, the fare counter 67 has associated therewith three windows for the display of a three-digit number by means of three number wheels in the three orders of a three-order counter. The extras counter 68 has two windows to display a two-digit number by means of the two number wheels of a two-order counter. Each order of each of these counters is indicated generally at 52 in FIG. 12. Each such order includes a solenoid 57. The solenoid 57a (FIG. 13) of lowest order in the three-order fare counter is energized from the micro switch 51. See FIGS. 11 and 13. The

solenoid of the lower order counter in the extras counter 68 is energized from the extras switch 7. See FIG. 13. In all orders of both the fare and extras counters, the armature of this solenoid (57 in FIG. 12) is connected by a linkage 58 to a pawl 59 to move a toothed wheel I This causes the number wheel of such next higher order counter to be moved on by one space. Switch 63a therefore constitutes a set of decade contacts (assuming a decimal monetary system) for the transmission of carries to the counter of adjacent higher order. On the other hand closure of the micro-switch 63a opens the circuits to the zeroizing circuits (to be described).

The taximeter includes an initial distance mechanism. This mechanism takes into account the condition that when a taxicab is hired an initial charge is made to cover an initial distance, for example corresponding to a journey of of a mile. No additional charge is then made for the first of a mile travelled by the taxicab. The mechanism is similar to that shown in FIG. 12 in which impulses are received by the solenoid 57 to impulse the toothed wheel 60 and an associated cam. No impulses are passed to the fare counter 52 until the cam on the counter has closed the associated micro-switch 63 to conmeet the contactor unit to the fare counter. The initial fare indicated on the display unit therefore initially indicates a fare corresponding to 7 of a mile and this is covered during the For Hire condition by a shutter controlled by a solenoid 103.

The control unit 1 includes a plurality of counter units. An extras counter 70 is connected in parallel with the extras counter 68 on the display unit. In addition there is a total miles counter 71, a paid miles counter 72, a number of trips counter 73 and a fare units counter 74.

The control unit 1 is connected to the drive unit 2 by an electric cable comprising ten wires and the display unit 3 is connected to the drive unit by a six wire electric cable. A cable also connects the drive unit with the condition display unit 4.

' Referring to FIG. 13 a negative voltage is connected toa terminal on the drive unit and this is connected to the clock wind solenoid 31a, to the total miles counter 71 through the micro-switch 26 and to the negative terminal-s and the two banks of the switches 16 and 17, operated from the button 9 and to the tarifi change switch 8. The tariff change switch 8 is connected to the tariff change solenoid 34 in the drive unit and to the traitf display indicator lamp 69 in the displayunit 3. The one bank of the switch 17 has the contacts corresponding to the Stopped and For Hire positions of the button 9 connected to the stop clock solenoid 38a in the drive unit and to a Stopped indicator light 101. The contact corresponding to the For Hire condition in the other bank of the switch 16 is connected to the trips counter 73 in the control unit and (through a rectifier to the contactor solenoid 45 in the drive unit) and to the zeroizing delay unit 100 and the For Hire lamp in the condition display unit 4. The contacts corresponding to the Hired land Stopped positions in the switch 16 are connected to the extras switch 7 in the control unit and to the contactor micro-switch 51 and a hired light 102 and the shutter solenoid 103, as well as to a terminal 104 on the drive unit and through the switch 7 to the extras units solenoid on the control unit and to the extras counter 68 on the display unit.

The terminal 104 on the drive unit is connected through a paid miles micro-switch 26a to the paid miles counter 72 and through the contactor micro-switch 51 to the contactor solenoid 45 and fare units solenoid count ers 57a, 57b and 570 through rectifiers. It is also connected to the Hired lamp in the display unit 3.

A delay circuit is included in the circuits to the solenoids 57. When the switches 16, 17 are returned to the Fore Hire position a circuit is made through the delay circuit 100 to the solenoids 57 in parallel. The making of this circuit energises the solenoids 57 through the respective switch 63a controlled by the respective cams 61a and the current to these solenoids is broken by operation of the respective micro-switch at each operation to provide an intermittent current to the solenoids and this impulses the respective fare counters. This .inipulsiug continues until the fare counter reaches the zero position. It is arranged that at this position the respective cam 61a reaches the position where it engages the respective link to open the contact of the switch 63a. The circuit is then broken. The micro-switch is then retained open, and the counter is halted in its initialposition. Zeroizing apparatussuita-ble for use in the present invention is described in further detail in British Patent No. 906,921 published Sept. 26, 1962. Essentially, in the mechanism of that British patent, there is provided in each order of a counter, whether plural order or single order, a pair of so-called self-interrupter" contacts which are closed in all rest positions of the numeral wheel of such order, except the position in which zero is displayed by the numeral wheel. The self-interrupter contacts are additionally opened during motion of the numeral wheel from each position to the next. To Zeroize the counter an impulse of long duration, such as is provided by' the delay circuit 100 in FIG. 13 of the present application, is applied to the driving solenoids of all orders via these self-interrupter contacts, shown at 63a in FIG. 13. The consequence is that each order steps on to the zero position, the pulse being made long enough to cover the time required.

When the taximeter is operative but the taxicab is not hired the condition switch is set at For Hire and in this condition the clock solenoid 31a and total miles counters 71 are operative. The clock solenoid 31a will not record because the stop clock solenoid 38a is operated.

As seen, as the taxicab is hired the control button 9 is first moved to move the switches 16, 17 to the Stopped position when the stop clock solenoid 38a is energised to permit the clock solenoid 31 in the drive unit to become operative. The contactor solenoid 45 also becomes energised to permit the charging counters to be operative.

When the taxicab has been hired the switches 16, 17 are again operated, this time to the Hired position. The negative potential is then connected through the switches 16, 17 to the contactor solenoid 45 to the Hired lamp, to the paid miles micro-switch and to the extras switch 7. At this stage any extras are included by operating the extras switch a desired number of times to give that number of impulses to the extras counter and to the extras unit solenoid.

Until the taxicab starts to move the clock solenoid 31 drives the main shaft through the gearing to cause the fare counter to be impulse-d at a waiting rate. However, as the taxicab moves the main shaft 30 will be driven at a faster rate than the clock drive and the clock drive will be over-run, and unless the taxicab is held up in traffic congestion or the like the fare counters will be driven in accordance with the distance travelled.

No charging will be effective until the initial distance mechanism has operated.

At the completion of the journey the fare to be charged is indicated on the fare counter 67 and extraseounter 68. When the fare is paid the condition switch is moved on to the For Hire position when the zeroizing delay unit 100 is operated to return the counters to their zero position. This is repeated for each journey.

If the tariff rate changes while the taxicab is out the tariff change switch 8 is operated to energise the tariff change solenoid 34 to effect the change of gear wheels. At the same time the tariff display 69 is changed to indicate which rate is being charged.

What we claim is:

1. A taximeter for a wheeled vehicle comprising a first shaft, a plural drive ratio gear train, means coupling sa'id first shaft via said gear train to the running gear of the Vehicle, a clockwork, a second shaft, separate oneway clutches coupling said first shaft and clockwork to said second shaft, a further clutch of which one member is coupled to said second shaft, a solenoid arranged to disengage said further clutch upon change in the state of energization thereof, a switch disposed to be actuated by the other member of said further clutch, means connecting said switch in circuit with said solenoid, a counter, and means responsive to actuation of said switch to advance said counter.

2. A taximeter for a wheeled vehicle, said taxtimeter comprising a first shaft, means coupling the first shaft with the running gear of the vehicle for rotation proportional to the motion of the vehicle, a clockwork, a second shaft, separate one-way clutches connecting said first shaft and clockwork with said second shaft, an electric switch coupled to said second shaft, a plural-drum digital counter, electrical means responsive to actuation of said switch to drive the drum of lowest order in said counter, a separate solenoid for each drum in said counter of order higher than the lowest for incremental advance of such drum of higher order, and separate switch means for each of said drums except the drum of highest order to energize the solenoid of adjacent higher order once per revolution of such drum.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

C. C. COVELL, Examiner. 

1. A TAXIMETER FOR A WHEELED VEHICLE COMPRISING A FIRST SHAFT, A PLURAL DRIVE RATIO GEAR TRAIN, MEANS COUPLING SAID FIRST SHAFT VIA SAID GEAR TRAIN TO THE RUNNING GEAR OF THE VEHICLE, A CLOCKWORK, A SECOND SHAFT, SEAPRATE ONEWAY CLUTCHES COUPLING SAID FIRST SHAFT AND CLOCKWORK TO SAID SECOND SHAFT, A FURTHER CLUTCH OF WHICH ONE MEMBER IS COUPLED TO SAID SECOND SHAFT, A SOLENOID ARRANGED TO DISENGAGE SAID FURTHER CLUTCH UPON CHANGE IN THE STATE OF ENERGIZATION THEREOF, A SWITCH DISPOSED TO BE ACTUATED BY 